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Friday, May 24, 2013

Kidal Crisis deepens

Who ARE these
people? What right do they have to discuss the future of Mali??? Where is the
Malian government representative???

In recent months
the Malian interim government has often been accused of silencing the press. In
fact, there are times when they would do well to do so: the total liberty of
internet news vehicles like www.malijet.com
is publishing incendiary articles often by anonymous sources with resulting
comments, intended for the incitement of
hatred- these sort of articles or comments would never be allowed in the
Western Press. I will give below two examples, referring to the meeting in
Ouagadougou between the Ecowas mediator Djibrill Bassolé and Ibrahim Ag Mohamed
Assaleh, the MNLA's representative, where the MNLA said they would accept the
presidential elections being held in Kidal, but only in the absence of the
Malian army. This is of course a huge insult to the sovereignty of the Malian nation,
and totally incomprehensible to the Malian people. A storm of comments was
unleashed on Malijet, with more than 250 comments- most of which would never
have seen the light anywhere else but in a place totally untrammeled by
censorship. I have just picked two comments, one representing each side:

'The patience of the Malian people has limits.
Do not join insult to humiliation. The Malian people will be intransigent on
the case of Kidal. Do not let the country descend into blood and fire for the sake
of a minority within a minority ! (refers to the MNLA not being representative
of the Touaregs)and for sordid reasons. You will be surprised by the reaction
of the Malians. For Pity’s sake I ask of the Malian leadership to put an end to
this Circus! The scars are too recent to turn the knife in the wound. (Refers
to Aguelhoc, the massacre of close to 100 unarmed soldiers by the MNLA, which
can be seen as the beginning of the present crisis) There cannot be two armies
in Mali. The French Army cannot stop the people if they decide to march on
Koulouba. (The presidential palace – euphemism for Revolution.)

‘The Touaregs are happy to let their blood flow
for the cause of freedom, that does not frighten us. But just know that the
blood of one Touareg is paid by the blood of a thousand negroes, so just make
your calculations! I bet you have never taken part in a combat! You are one of
these effeminate men with a big belly and a big arse- for a real warrior
doesn’t talk like that. There may be some Touaregs in Bamako, but there are
plenty of Blacks in Kidal. Don’t cry Aguelhoc- it may be repeated!”

3 Comments:

God/Allah help the Malians indeed, given that second response. I'm surprised he didn't abuse the poster as a queer who deserved to die - but of course homosexuality in Mali doesn't exist, a line I think you once bought into...

Sorry to read such news from Mali. However incendiary comments are stock and trade of newspapers nowadays. Obviously there is also racism at play here. I remember the same hate and racism in the Sudan 20 years ago. Appears that there are no easy solutions when institutions are weak.

Dear Laurent, Dear David,yes, grim times indeed. And Laurent, it is racism, yes, but more than race there is a question of a minority faction seeking independence- a bit like the Basque region in northern Spain. The institutions a weak now, as a result of the year long ctisis. And perhaps most of all the Malian people are impoverisehd, and feeling keenly how they have no sovereignty in the face of the international bull dozer who negotiates for them, who decides for them and who leaves them no option but to comply.